Overview

SPECIAL OFFER

Save $2,400 to $4,000 off the regular rate. Additionally, the single supplement has been waived in categories D through A.

Cruise aboard Corinthian II to the beautiful islands of the Mediterranean Sea— from Cyprus, to Rhodes, Crete, Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. Steeped in history, these islands abound in legend and natural beauty.



Begin with three days in Cyprus to explore the Greek, Roman and Byzantine monuments at Paphos, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In Rhodes, learn about the Knights of Saint John and admire the beauty of its medieval Old Town. Cruising west, tour the excavations at the ruins of Knossos on Crete. Sail into the majestic harbor of Valletta in Malta, take in the best of Sicily’s classic sites at Erice and Segesta, and learn of the nuraghi prehistoric monuments on Sardinia. End your Mediterranean odyssey in Corsica to step into the Roman world of Aleria and relax amid the enduring charm of Bonifacio.

A Personal Statement for our Study Leader, Bruce Loeffler

"A trip to the major islands across the Mediterranean provides a unique opportunity—both in geology and in art and cultural history. First, we will be able to consider the origins of the earthquakes, volcanoes, and mineral deposits in the circum-Mediterranean region by observing and understanding the tectonics of the African and Eurasian Plates and of the Turkish and Arabian microplates. This will provide an excellent introduction to Plate Tectonics, the unifying theory of the Earth. Second, the Mediterranean region has been the locus for the great sweep of Western civilization, and its islands are a palimpsest, with the traces of one culture and civilization stacked one upon the other. We will see evidence of the Bronze Age, of the Minoan Civilization, of the sea-faring Phoenicians; of the Greek city states and their colonies; of the Roman Empire; of early Christians and the Byzantine Empire; of Islam and its early Caliphtates; of the European Medieval Period and the Crusades; and of the Renaissance and Baroque. In particular, we will consider the history of religion, looking at the transition from a polytheistic to a monotheistic world, and at the interaction of Christianity and Islam."